NASAAEP Best Practices Working Group Documents

The National Alliance of State Animal and Agricultural Emergency Programs (NASAAEP ) with funding from USDA Animal Care convened a series of working groups (2010-2014). These groups were charged with identifying Best Practices for various aspects of the emergency response for animals. Below are the documents that are the result of their work.

Animal Evacuation and Transportation

Emergency Animal Sheltering Best Practices

Animal professionals and animal protection advocates have an important role to play in the disaster
preparedness and response activities in their communities regarding animals. Working under the
direction of emergency management officials as part of an integrated system, they may be asked to
prepare their communities for, or respond to, disasters that affect animals. Part of the task may be toplan for, and operate, an emergency animal shelter.

Zoological Best Practices Working Group

The mission of the Zoological Best Practices Working Group is to promote a culture of all hazards contingency planning and preparedness for the managed wildlife community. To that end, the group will research, prepare, review and disseminate documents to assist facilities in drafting their own contingency plans. The Working Group will encourage facilities to work with first responders, local emergency management and other stakeholders to draft useful plans that are integrated into their jurisdictional emergency management infrastructure.

Animal Search and Rescue

Animal Search and Rescue (ASAR) is tasked by the authority having jurisdiction (AHJ) and mounted by emergency services, animal care and control, and trained responders, to locate, stabilize, extricate and evacuate animals believed to be in distress, lost, abandoned, sick, stranded, trapped or injured.